Luxe Jewelry blog

Faced with the threat of their sport being excluded from the Winter Olympics after 2014 because of a lack of competitiveness, women’s hockey officials have held preliminary discussions with the N.H.L. about forming an N.H.L.-supported women’s league.

"I was in a meeting just this week with the N.H.L. and all the stakeholders in women’s hockey, and I think we have the ear of the N.H.L.," Hayley Wickenheiser, 32, a Canadian forward regarded as one of the game’s greatest female players, said Thursday.

"They’re looking at it right now from a sponsorship level to get it off the ground," Wickenheiser said,watches, referring to the N.H.L. "We’re not talking about big salaries, just sensible steps to get it on the ice to entertain people and see where it can go, and then down the road having an elite, W.N.B.A.-type league."

Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, said the talks had taken place over a number of months and were very preliminary, but they were aimed at setting up a "women’s league or women’s competition."

The sense of crisis for the sport emerged after the Vancouver Games. As in the previous three Olympics, it was one-sided, with Canada and the United States dominating their European opponents. Canada beat Slovakia, 18-0, in one game; the United States beat Russia, 13-0,tiffany, in another.

On the eve of Canada’s 2-0 victory over the Americans in the gold medal match, the International Olympic Committee’s president, Jacques Rogge,bracelets, said that women’s hockey "cannot continue without improvement." The comment raised the specter that the sport might go the way of softball, which was dropped from the Olympics because of the dominance of the United States.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is thanking the men and women who serve our country in a big way by offering free golf to active or retired members of the U.S. military, and encouraging other golfers to participate in the Patriot Golf Day Program honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Individuals with valid active or retired military identification are invited to play for free on any of Sandestin’s three championship golf courses, Raven Golf Club, Baytowne Golf Club, and The Links Course this September 3-6. Golfers can call 850-267-8155 to book their tee times and are not restricted to certain times on any course.

Sandestin is also leading the way among golf courses nationwide with their participation in Patriot Golf Day. Sandestin is calling patriots including guests and local residents to action by asking them to add $1 or another amount of their choice to their green fees that will go directly to the Folds of Honor,Bead bracelet, non-profit organization that provides post-secondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women who were disabled or killed while serving our country. The Patriot Golf Day Campaign is jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has promised to match every dollar that is donated in conjunction with Patriot Golf Day.

According to Rick Hileman, PGA director of resort golf operations, Sandestin is honored to open our courses in this creative way to honor the men and women who have so bravely served our country.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Florida offers one the most complete resort experience in North America, with a wide selection of golf options and packages for any level player. Sandestin is a 2,400-acre destination for all seasons and for all ages, located on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast, an area recognized as one of the top 2010 destinations in the world by Frommer’s. The resort invites guests to enter a world of 30 charming neighborhoods from the beach to the bay featuring 1,400 villas, town homes and a wide variety of hotel accommodations. A member of Beaches of South Walton, Sandestin features four championship golf courses, 15 world-class tennis courts, 19 swimming pools, a 98-slip marina, a fitness center and spa, 65,000 square feet of meeting space and The Village of Baytowne Wharf, a pedestrian village with shops,rings, dining and nightlife. Visit www.sandestin.com or call 1-877-870-5915.

A pediatric urologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center has pioneered a successful surgical procedure for young girls who have absent or malformed vaginas, a condition that affects about one in 4,000 females (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/UT-Southwestern-Medical-Center.html> UT Southwestern Medical Center).

Unknown causes and certain genetic disorders can cause girls to be born with these defects, along with other birth defects that can accompany the vaginal problems, including abnormal neck,watches, absent or malformed uterus and fallopian tubes,pendants, absent kidneys or abnormal external genitals.

"It was initially challenging to construct a treatment for something so rare," said Dr. Linda Baker, professor of urology at UT Southwestern and a surgeon at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. "My goal was to develop a treatment that would lead to a natural repair at the first operation, as well as a method to correct vaginal scarring in girls and women who’d had prior, unsuccessful vaginal surgeries."

Existing procedures for these conditions include using portions of a patient’s skin or lower intestine to build the vaginal walls and an external vaginal opening. Dr. Baker began studying other areas of the body for potential healthy tissue to use and discovered that interior cheek tissue, or buccal mucosa, had several similar physiological qualities to vaginal tissue in its thickness, elasticity, strength and visual similarities.

"There were many surgical methods for reconstructing the vagina,bracelets, but when I began seeing these patients, I thought the results were not natural-looking and inadequate in many cases," said Dr. Baker, director of the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Center for Pediatric Urology. "Too many suffered with complications from these types of vaginal reconstructions, often leading to painful intercourse in adulthood."

The surgery begins by removing a portion of the top layer of cheek tissue from inside a patient’s mouth. That tissue is then stretched and made into a graft that is perforated, much like a skin graft. Once complete, the graft is wrapped around a plastic mold and fitted inside the patient’s body.

"After a week or so, the mold is removed, and the graft is vascularized," Dr. Baker said. "The tissue cells fill in the gaps, and the new vagina becomes complete. The mouth heals quickly, and no one can see any scars from the surgery."

Because the tissue comes from the patient’s own body,Charm pendant, there is no risk of rejection, and the vagina functions similarly to a natural vagina. Another major advantage to the surgical procedure is that it can be done with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. Patients undergoing the older methods for vaginal reconstruction may require surgery that involves entering the abdomen, which means recovery is much longer. Those procedures carry a higher risk of postsurgical complications, something minimized for women who have the buccal mucosa graft.

In some women, the uterus and fallopian tubes are malformed or damaged from trapped menses behind a malformed or blocked vagina. In these cases, Dr. Baker teams up with Dr. Ellen Wilson, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UT Southwestern and Children’s.

"In general, vaginal birth defects are something young women suffer from silently – it is so personal. It’s not something they want to talk about, which makes it harder to resolve. This isn’t a common problem, but it’s a serious one that doesn’t receive much attention," Dr. Baker said. "So far we’ve done 23 of these procedures with minimal complications, and we’re hopeful this becomes a more and more common way to treat these patients."

Keywords: Hospital, Pediatrics, Skin Graft,necklaces, Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Girls’ night out in Denver just got a whole lot more exciting thanks to the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek hotel and spa packages in Denver, CO. Ladies will delight in the luxurious accommodations and non-stop pampering they’ll get with the Girlfriend Getaway – Ladies’ Night Out Package which includes:

Deluxe accommodations

Rates from $280 double occupancy (a 25% savings)

Two $50 gift cards to the Spa at Cherry Creek for two girlfriends

Two complimentary drinks or appetizers in Second Home Bar

Two complimentary breakfasts in Second Home Restaurant

One welcome amenity of decadent European-style chocolates (one per room)

Valid Friday through Sunday based on availability

When not getting spoiled at the spa, the ladies can explore the picturesque neighborhood that this Cherry Creek hotel is nestled in. With the mountains providing a breathtaking backdrop, the Cherry Creek area boasts 300 unique shops and restaurants, and is just minutes from downtown Denver.

There’s no better reason to grab the girls and indulge in an unforgettable girlfriend getaway at the elegant and chic JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek.

About JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek

Encounter a Denver hotel unlike any other at the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek and discover an exceptional location, personalized service, and distinguished comforts. Nestled in the picturesque Cherry Creek neighborhood, this AAA, Four-Diamond luxury hotel provides easy access to over 300 unique shops, restaurants and is within minutes of the cultural and sporting venues in downtown Denver. Revitalize body and mind in each of the 196 spacious Denver luxury hotel rooms, many offering stunning mountain and downtown views. Guest room amenities include complimentary wired and wireless internet, 37" high-definition TV, DVD/CD player,bracelets, and exquisite marble and granite bathrooms with separate glass shower. Indulge the senses at Second Home Kitchen + Bar,Charm bracelet, an award-winning restaurant featuring artisan dishes served amidst the ambiance of an outdoor stone fire pit. From the stunning grand staircase to the complimentary 24-hour fitness center and Spa,money clips, the JW Marriott Hotel in Denver epitomizes refined elegance.

For more information or to make a reservation, call 303-316-2700,Charm pendant, or visit http://marriott.com/denjw.

SOURCE JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek

The Greenwood volleyball team got the season-opening win it was looking for Tuesday night, even if it wasn’t as crisp as it might have liked.

The Lady Gators (1-0) trailed in both sets but rallied to win 2-0 (25-19, 25-14) over Region 4 contender Logan County in the season opening match for both teams.

"Well, we played with some nerves," said GHS coach Holly Whittinghill, whose program honored several former players from the past decade prior to the match. "We had a few girls out there that this is their first time on a varsity court. So, I think overall we did pretty good."

Greenwood,cuff Links, ranked 12th in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, used a balanced attack against an LCHS squad (0-1) that faded late after hanging around early.

Five different Lady Gators recorded kills while setter Shelby Worthington dished out 12 assists.

"Yes, it’s a lot better," Worthington said of her arsenal of weapons. "(Samantha) Mosher was strong last year,bracelets, but offseason club really helped her out, she’s gotten a lot better — it’s nice."

With junior star Courtney Smith on one side and the sophomore Mosher on the other,money clips, GHS hasn’t quite mastered its plan of attack just yet, but was good enough on day one.

Greenwood reeled off five straight points to start the match — including two Smith kills from Worthington and two Mosher aces — before LC was forced to call timeout.

The stoppage settled the Lady Cougars down and they slowly climbed back even at 11-all on a Mosher attack error. The Lady Cougars then took leads of 13-12 and 14-13 on two GHS violations, but Smith and Julia Reed blocked a Taylor Oates kill to regain the advantage at 15-14.

The Gators built an 18-15 lead from there, only to see LCHS come back and tie it at 18 before a Smith kill from Worthington gave GHS the lead for good. Natalie Geis came off the bench and curved an untouched ace down the near sideline to make it 20-18 and Kelsey Srygler finished off the set with an ace for a 25-19 win.

In the second set, Logan again rallied from an early hole to take a small lead. Jennifer Bryant placed a tip to cut the deficit to 5-4 and a soft punch shot from Jessica Anderson that rolled along the net and dropped made it 5-5.

Hannah Hudnall followed that with an ace and Bryant put home a kill from a Kate Brooks set to make it 7-5. But that’s where the LCHS momentum would end.

Greenwood went on a 7-0 run from there, getting kills from Smith and Hannah Duckett, a Worthington push shot and a Geis ace.

The Lady Cougars never recovered, getting as close as four the rest of the way as GHS won its fifth straight match and 10th straight set over LCHS since losing the 2008 region title game.

"Well, we didn’t play as good as we wanted," Worthington laughed. "We had some first-game jitters, but we got that out of the way I think."

The Lady Gators will take part in the Kentucky Play Day on Saturday, facing three of the state’s top teams in Presentation,Charm pendant, Henry Clay and Owensboro Catholic. Logan County travels to the Summer Slam at Apollo on Friday.

Austin Peay State University issued the following news release:

Austin Peay State University women’s volleyball team has a thankful distinction from other Fall sports reporting to campus for preseason activities – the heat will not be an issue.

However, with summer graduation occupying the Dunn Center and a delay on getting the Memorial Health Building ready for use, first-year head coach Haley Janicek has her own set of problems. For the time being, volleyball preseason camp is taking place in the Foy Center,bracelets, using one of the three courts designated for student activities.

Although the results have been pleasant over the past two years, the program is amidst its third coaching change in that span. Two years ago Mississippi State came calling for then-head coach Jenny Hazelwood after leading Austin Peay to a third-place Ohio Valley Conference regular-season finish. Austin Peay brought in west-coast product Mike Johnson, who overhauled the system and turned in a second-place league finish, only to see him leave for Xavier two months before Fall reporting.

That twisting and turning in the coaching ranks has not affected the program adversely, as the players have grown closer together throughout much of the coaching confusion. Their performance on the court has improved and even after losing OVC Player of the Year Stephanie Champine, the team was picked sixth in the OVC’s preseason poll. Should they finish sixth, it would mean their third OVC tournament appearance in three years.

Highlighting the returning group is senior setter Sarah Alisaleh and senior middle blocker Jessica Mollman, both of whom were named the All-OVC preseason squad. Alisaleh may be the best setter in the league – she was first-team All-OVC last season – after becoming the fourth APSU player to record multiple 1,000-assists campaigns in a career. Mollman,cuff Links, meanwhile, was a second-team All-OVC pick last season with a .312 attack percentage that ranked seventh-best in league play.

The good news for Austin Peay’s volleyball team is when it comes to change,tiffany, enough is enough. Janicek will continue to use the west-coast system that set gyms afire last season. That’s the kind of heat the Lady Govs can handle. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement,Bead bracelet, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

The identification bracelets on at least one of the babies apparently switched at birth at the University of Virginia Medical Center were so loose they could easily be slipped on and off the infant’s wrist and ankle, the child’s mother says.

The bands are put on newborns to prevent mix-ups in the maternity ward. Hospital rules say the tiffany bracelets should be applied tightly enough that they must be cut off or a security lock broken to remove them, hospital spokeswoman Marguerite Beck said Sunday.

But Paula Johnson, the mother who discovered the switch, showed USA TODAY the I.D. bracelets she had saved from the birth of her daughter in June 1995. The tiny, pink bracelets are still locked, and their security pins are intact. Neither bracelet had been cut.

Johnson recalls easily slipping the bands from the wrist and ankle of the baby she thought to be her daughter after coming home from the hospital.

Johnson said she also slipped off her own security bracelet, which matches the child’s, without cutting or breaking the lock.

The bracelets may provide a clue to how things went amiss.

“Nothing is 100% foolproof,” Beck said Sunday. “The I.D. bracelets are designed to have a security rings lock to prevent them from slipping off.” University and state police are investigating the mix-up.

Identification numbers were printed on the bracelets. The baby’s name, Callie Marie, was handwritten in capital letters.

The hospital believes that Paula Johnson’s biological daughter was switched with the biological daughter of Whitney Rogers. The two had babies 15 hours apart. Since then, the two families are believed to have raised each other’s children, now 3.

Results of genetic tests are expected this week to confirm that Rebecca, the daughter of Rogers and Kevin Chittum, is the biological daughter of Paula Johnson.

The families of the swapped babies met for the first time Friday and Saturday. The bracelets two 3-year-olds did not attend.

Augusta Valentine is a little unsure she wants to make her first piece tiffany of beaded jewelry.

“I hope this is not going to become another addiction,” she says, looking at the five other women seated with her around the table.

Debbi Shellhase is just the opposite. She can’t wait to make what is probably her 50th piece.

“I have a jewelry box full,” she says.

The two women recently gathered for a Bead Retreat jewelry- making session at the Naturals Yarn Shop in Gloucester. They sit around a table with four other women, talking about former husbands, kids and clothes. Everyone admires the pink Mary Jane Crocs that Lindsay South wears with jeans and a pink top.

Bead Retreat, started in 2001 by Peninsula residents Lesa Shepherd and Cindi bangles Swett, allows friends to hang out while they make beaded jewelry from kits. A coordinator provides and explains the kits, shows finished samples and helps participants through the process.

Costs include a $10 per-person class fee and whatever your beaded kit costs, which ranges from $2.50 for a Next Generation bracelet to $63 for a Namesake bracelet. The $28 starter tool kit includes a bead board, needle nose pliers and wire cutter. Each participant also receives a catalog where they can order kits to take home. The party hostess receives special gifts.

“I’ve been in direct sales ever since I was 18,” says Bead Retreat coordinator Melissa Hansen, 39. She’s also a stay-at-home mother to Cody, 10, and Gabriella, 5, both active in programs such as ballet and sports. “This is what makes it possible for me to run them everywhere and be at their school programs.”

During the next hour, Hansen guides the women while they make different bracelets rings. Shellhase chooses the Solaris style with opal quartz, Czech fire-polished glass and pewter beads, $8.25. South makes Beaches with mother-of-pearl beads and chips, $10.25. The others opt for Fish ‘n’ Chips with aqua quartz, mother-of-pearl and pewter beads, $10.

The women use numbered bead boards to arrange their beads for stringing.

“We lay it out any old way?” South asks.

“Lay it out the way you will string it,” says Hansen. “Once you make this bracelet, you can make any.”

Deciding how beads should flow is the most time-consuming part. Extra beads are included in each kit so customization is possible.

“I’ll swap you two of these beads for one of those,” says Pat Breth to Valentine and Jean Crowder. “I’m trying to do a particular pattern.”

South finishes first, slides the bracelet on her tiny wrist and holds it up for all to see.

“Mine is all white so it was pretty easy to do,” she says.

Valentine struggles a little with hers.

“I have lots left to do nothing with,” she says.

“You have lots left to do something with,” says Shellhase. She likes to use bracelets extra beads to make matching earrings.

Once Valentine gets the beads on the fine-gauge wire, she puts on the finishing toggle clasp.

“Finally,” she says smiling with satisfaction. “I like it and I did it without saying any bad words.”

The Moscow City Council adopted the city’s first comprehensive plan rewrite since 1999 Monday evening following a meeting that lasted more than four hours.

The council voted 4-2 to keep maps of a proposed ring road/bypass tiffany concept in the plan, with outgoing council members Bill Lambert and John Weber voting for removal.

The plan’s approval concludes a near three-year rewrite process.

—

The controversial ring road/bypass concept predictably dominated discussion at the Moscow City Council’s public hearing on the city’s proposed comprehensive plan rewrite.

The council was set to begin deliberations at press time after a nearly two-and-half hour hearing.

Though the comprehensive plan covers a wide array of city planning issues, the ring road concept was the central topic, much like it was during the Planning and Zoning Commission’s hearing on the plan in late October.

That hearing mostly featured testimony from residents outside the city limits concerned about the effect a proposed ring road around the city could have on their properties.

This time, many notable Moscow residents also weighed in both for and against the ring bangles road.

Former Mayor Marshall Comstock was the first to speak, and came out in support of keeping the road in the plan as a guide for the future.

Referencing David Trail, the road’s most outspoken critic, Comstock said development spurs road building, not city planning, and Trail shouldn’t worry about losing his home or surrounding neighborhood.

“With all due respect … within their lifetime there’s not going to be a road built out there unless they (the Trail family) want it to happen,” he said.

Trail, representing a group of landowners in what would be the northeast quadrant of the road, spoke for roughly 15 minutes, and several other residents from outside the city limits voiced their opposition as well.

Tri-State owner Gerard Connelly also spoke against the concept, saying the proposed road is an invitation to bypass the city and its businesses.

Connelly’s testimony was among the most passionate of the evening. He said the city, whether rings intentional or not, “seems hellbent on doing as much harm as it can.”

Mark Williams can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 301, or by e-mail at mwilliams@dnews.com.

QUICKREAD

WHAT HAPPENED: The Moscow City Council conducted a public hearing on the proposed rewrite of the city’s comprehensive plan.

WHAT IT MEANS: The hearing represents the final stage of a near three-year process to write the first new plan for the city since 1999.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: As of press time the council was still deliberating following testimony bracelets from the public. It is eventually expected to approve the plan in some form, but modifications could be made.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: The plan is intended to serve as the basis for land-use decisions within the city for the next 15 to 20 years. A copy of the current draft can be viewed at www.visionmoscow.org.

There are lots of things that say Christmas tiffany: Trees, cookies, parties and presents, for example. But murder mysteries? Who knew?

Publishers did.

Sales of author Anne Perry’s mystery stories appeared to plateau a few years back. But when the author put out a Christmas novel in 2005, sales shot up, said Daniel Goldin, owner of Boswell Book Company on Milwaukee’s east side.

Mystery writers now join novelists, yarn-spinners and memoirists in expounding on the season.

Here’s a roundup of some of this year’s new holiday titles, from graphic novels to Victorian mysteries to how-to and children’s books.

Unexpected Xmas authors

–”The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays,” edited by necklaces Michele Clarke and Taylor Plimpton (Abrams Books, $15.95)

Cynical anthology from writers including John Waters, Charles Bukowski, Dave Barry and Hunter S. Thompson. For those who believe that the best spirits of the season come in a bottle.

–”You Better Not Cry,” by Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin’s Press, $21.99)

His childhood wasn’t so cheery, so it stands to reason that his holidays weren’t brimming with happiness, either.

–”Matchless,” by Gregory MaGuire (HarperCollins, $19.99)

The author of “Wicked” puts his spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s “Little Match Girl” to celebrate the season.

Graphic-novel greetings

All are $14.99 from HarperCollins.

–”A Kidnapped Santa Claus”: Alex Robinson adapts the L. Frank Baum story.

–”The Fir-Tree”: Comics author Lilli Carre’s take on the bangles Hans Christian Andersen tale.

–”The Gift of the Magi”:

Joel Priddy gives his view of O. Henry’s famous tale.

Christmas chick lit

–”The Christmas Cookie Club,” by Ann Pearlman (Atria Books, $24.99)

Women bond over life and over cookies.

–”Knit the Season,” by Kate Jacobs (Fantastic Fiction, $24.95)

Third book in the Friday Night Knitting Club Series is set in Scotland.

–”A Christmas Promise,” by Anne Perry (Fantastic Fiction, $18)

The seventh book in her series of Victorian Christmas novellas.

Winter wonderlands

–”A Christmas Blizzard,” by Garrison Keillor (Penguin Group, $21.95)

Rich man finds the true meaning of Christmas in a South Dakota blizzard.

–”The Gift,” by Cecelia Ahern (HarperCollins, $19.99)

Ahern, the co-creator of TV’s “Samantha Who?” takes on the season.

–”Wishin’ and Hopin’: A Christmas Story,” by Wally Lamb (HarperCollins, $19.99)

Lamb, famous for “She’s Come Undone,” turns back the clock to Christmas, 1960s style.

–”Christmas Memories: Gifts, Activities, Fads and Fancies, 1920s-1960s,” by Susan Waggoner (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $17.95)

If you ever wondered how the characters on “Mad Men” rings might have celebrated Christmas, it’s in here.

Murder meets mistletoe

–”Decked with Folly,” by Kate Kingsbury (Berkley Publishing Group, $14)

Holiday season at the Pennyfoot Hotel includes death in a duck pond.

–”Holiday Grind,” by Cleo Coyle (Berkley Publishing Group, $23.95)

After seven stories in the coffeehouse mystery series, authors Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini (a.k.a. Cleo Coyle) set this one during Christmas cookie season. Recipes included.

–”Mrs. Jeffries & the Yuletide Weddings,” by Emily Brightwell (Berkley Publishing Group, $23.95)

Two weddings, the Christmas holiday and a murder. It’s a trifecta.

God is in the details

–”The Christmas Glass,” by Marci Alborghetti (Guideposts, $15.99)

The latest from Alborghetti, famous for her faith-themed books, is being compared to 1995′s wildly popular “The Christmas Box” by Richard Paul Evans.

–”Santa Miracles,” by Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger (Adams Media, $12.95)

Think “Chicken Soup for the Jolly Old Soul” for this collection of Santa stories.

–”Christmas Traditions: True Stories that Celebrate the Spirit of the Season,” edited by Helen Szymanski (Adams Media, $10.95)

Writers share their purposeful and accidental traditions from the season.

Holiday kid lit

–”Fly, Santa, Fly,” by Betty Ann Schwartz, illustrated by Steve Cox (Sterling Publishing, $9.95)

Geared to infants and preschoolers, it lets kids control Santa’s flight with a lenticular disc.

–”A Pussycat’s Christmas,” by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated Anne Mortimer (HarperCollins, $9.99)

Beautiful photos ask the questions: Can cats hear snow, smell Christmas bracelets trees or celebrate the holiday? Answers inside.

–”Secret Santa,” illustrated by Simone Abel with design and paper engineering by Richard Jewitt (Sterling Publishers, $16.95)

Follow the letter exchange between Santa and a fan with stunning pop-ups that tell the story of the North Pole.

–”Horrid Henry’s Christmas,” by Francesca Simon, illustrated by Tony Ross (Sourcebooks, $4.99)

Nothing says Christmas like a story that includes Pimply Paul.

–”The Great Reindeer Rebellion,” by Lisa Trumbauer, illustrated by Jannie Ho (Sterling Publishers, $14.95)

Turns out elephants don’t make good replacements when reindeer strike at the North Pole.

Tickets will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. tiffany jewelry Monday.

The pageant will run Dec. 7-13 with performances at 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

For more information contact Northside Baptist Church at 361-578-1568.

Chur

Northside Baptist Church’s annual Christmas rings pageant, known for its elaborate scenery and live animals, is turning 25.

“Silver Bells” is the theme for this year’s pageant, which tells the story of Jesus and will include modern-day holiday song and dance scenes.

“It’s what Christmas is all about,” said Sylvia Manning, who does publicity for the event. “It’s the birth, death and resurrection of Christ and friendship and fellowship and love.”

Manning said the event is suitable for all ages and anticipates bracelets available tickets to quickly run out. Although the project involves nearly 500 church members and is expensive to produce, tickets are free.

“It’s presented as a Christmas gift to Victoria,” Manning said.

More than 9,000 people attended the pageant last year, and similar crowds are expected for the 11 presentations scheduled for this season.

Tickets will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday. The pageant will run cufflinks Dec. 7-13 with performances at 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. For more information contact Northside Baptist Church at 361-578-1568.